Vayeishev

By Rabbi Aron Tendler

Leadership and Mashiach

"Yehudah revealed the ability to do what had to be done in order to protect
the development of his fledgling nation."

The story of Yoseph and his brothers is the story of kings and would-be-kings,
cowardice and courage. It is a story of trust and betrayal, love and hatred.
It is a tale of opportunities had and opportunities lost. It is also the story
of two great personalities, Reuven and Yehudah.

Reuven, the oldest of Yakov's sons, should have been the designated and
future king of Israel. Instead, Yehudah, the fourth son, earned the
recognition of his brothers and the future crown of the nation.

Why did Reuven loose the option of becoming king, and why did Yehudah gain
the position?

On the verse, "because I know the intentions," (Yirmiyahu 29) The Medresh
explains, "The Shevatim were occupied with the sale of Yoseph. Yoseph was
immersed in his sackcloth and fasting. Reuven was immersed in his sackcloth
and fasting. At the same time, Yehudah was busy getting married, and G-d
busied Himself creating the light of Mashiach."

The Medresh juxtaposes the mournful reaction of Yakov's family to Yoseph's
sale with the seemingly incongruous timing of Yehudah's marriage. Yet, the
divine purpose of all these events is evidenced in G-d "creating the light of
Mashiach."

The focus of this Medresh is Yehudah - who he was and why he would be king
of Israel and the father of Mashiach. A good king must have a vision for the
future betterment of his nation and devise a plan that will accomplish that
goal. His reactions to the present must be tempered and directed by his
vision, and he must be willing to sacrifice in the present in order to
guarantee the future.

He must be able to sell his vision to his subjects and stand firm in the
face of opposition and criticism. At times, he must be willing to be unpopular
because others may be limited in their scope and understanding of his vision.
He must be willing to assume full responsibility for his decisions and accept
the consequences of his mistakes and the truth of his personal limitations.
However, at all times, the king must remain focused on his vision and trust
that G-d will pave the way - if his vision is proper for his nation.

Reuven, as Yakov's first born, should have been the king. However, three
incidents exposed his inappropriateness for that position.

1. He moved his father's bed from the tent of Billhah to the tent of Leah.
On the one hand, he was sensitive to the honor of Leah. On the other hand, he
disregarded the important honor due Yakov's position.

2. He recognized the need to save Yoseph from the brothers, but failed in
his attempt to bring Yoseph back to Yakov.

3. His well intended, but inappropriate guarantee to Yakov of giving his
own two sons in exchange for Binyamin's safety. (42:37)

In each of these instances, Reuven exhibited a developed sense of right
and wrong, but was unable to devise strategies that would accomplish his
goals. In each instance, he reacted to the immediate situation rather than
assessing all pertinent factors necessary for the future of the family and
nation.

Yehudah, on the other hand, during the sale of Yoseph, his marriage to
Tamar, and his handling of Yakov in regards to Binyamin's safety, revealed the
ability to do what had to be done in order to protect the development of his
fledgling nation. Yehudah recognized and accepted the inherent limitations of
being the fourth son and devised a strategy that saved Yoseph and ultimately
created Mashiach.

Yehudah's actions revealed the necessary qualities of a good leader and
king.

1. He had the ability to devise and implement a plan.

2. He recognized and accepted his own limitations.

3. He trusted G-d.

4. He willingly assumed responsibility for his decisions and acknowledged
his mistakes and their consequences.

5. He remained focused on his vision for the future of his family and
nation.

The circumstances of Yoseph's sale are clearly stated in the Torah.

1. Yakov sent Yoseph to check on his brothers.

2. Shimon and Levi plotted to kill Yoseph.

3. Reuven saved Yoseph from their plot and suggested putting him in a pit.

4. Yoseph was thrown into the pit and his multicolored coat was taken
away.

5. Reuven left his brothers and returned to care for Yakov.

6. Yehudah suggested to his brothers that Yoseph be sold.

7. Yoseph was sold.

8. Reuven returned to his brothers and discovered that Yoseph had been
sold. Reuven mourned the loss of Yoseph and his failure to save him.

10. Yehudah left Yakov's home and got married.
The brothers understood that the formation of the Jewish people required
12 brothers. Nevertheless, they felt strongly enough about Yoseph to plot his
removal and tamper with the required foundation of the future nation. In so
doing, they revealed their belief in the righteousness of their cause and
their trust in G-d that He would safeguard the future of the Bnai Yisroel.

Reuven and Yehudah were different than the other eight brothers. They were
not willing to chance the killing of Yoseph and irrevocably altering the
intended foundation of the nation. Reuven felt that by delaying Yoseph's death
he could convince his brothers to return Yoseph to Yakov and let Yakov deal
with their complaints. However, he lost sight of his own position as the
eldest brother and future king. He should have forcefully stopped Shimon and
Levi and returned Yoseph to Yakov. He attempted a compromise when strength,
courage, and determination were called for.

Yehudah, on the other hand, realized that his position as a younger
brother did not provide the needed advantage to successfully confront his
brothers. Instead, he devised a plan that removed Yoseph from immediate danger
but consigned him to G-d's care and protection. "Let G-d decide, not us, the
future of the nation."

Following the sale of Yoseph, the brothers blamed Yehudah for Yakov's
pain. It was as if they recognized Yehudah's natural claim on the leadership
of the future nation and retroactively blamed him for not taking a stronger
position with them.

Yehudah, on the other hand, could not afford to immerse himself in regret
and self pity. As the king, he had to look to the future of his people.
Recognizing that he had tampered with the essential foundation of the Jewish
people, and not knowing what G-d had in store for Yoseph, Yehudah devised and
implemented an alternate plan. Being that, "grandsons are considered as sons,"
Yehudah immediately sought to marry and have children. That way a replacement
for Yoseph would be ready to complete the essential number of 12 sons. As we
find with the two sons of Yoseph, Menashe and Ephrayim, Yehudah's logic was
accurate.

With the incident with Tamar, Yehudah's ability to accept responsibility
and admit his mistakes became apparent. Confronted with evidence that he was
the cause of Tamar's pregnancy, Yehudah immediately acknowledged Tamar's
righteousness and his own failure in relation to her.

The juxtaposition of the events surrounding the sale of Yoseph as detailed
in the Medresah focuses on Yehudah as the future king. Yehudah was the one who
ultimately saved Yoseph. Yehudah was the one who endured the blame for Yakov's
pain. Yehudah was the one who accepted the responsibility for forging a new
path toward destiny while everyone else wallowed in sorrow and self-pity.

Therefore, Yehudah was the one whom G-d appointed to become the king of
His Chosen people and progenitor of Mashiach.